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Friday, November 30, 2007

Venetian Snares - My Downfall (Original Soundtrack)

I have a little soft spot for drum n’ bass (surely an extension of my mounting ADHD) but had the hardest time in the past finding releases that I properly enjoy. Then Aaron Funk, AKA Venetian Snares released Rossz Csillag Alatt Szuletett, an emotive Hungarian love letter filled with violins and ridiculously incredible drum breaks. The release was heaven for those of us who were desperately seeking the meshing of drum n’ bass mechanics with some level of humanity. Now, a couple years have past and Funk has, after a fair share of deviations (Venetian Snares is wildly prolific), finally returned to the structure I first fell in love with. My Downfall is being regarded as Rossz Csillag Alatt Szuletett’s follow up, and for good reason. Back are the sad violins, the Gregorian chants and, of course, those drums! Marked as an ‘Original Sountrack,’ the album does take on some more cinematic elements in its flow and whether it is a film soundtrack or not, there definitely feels like a narrative. The one difference in My Downfall is that Funks drum breaks are limited to four of the albums tracks, the remainder of which play out tortured classical mourning. The decision works well in spacing out the hyperactivity so as not to drill its listeners into the ground before they can feel the full weight of the album. Following well in its predecessor’s footsteps, My Downfall reminds of why I fell in love with Venetian Snares signature spastic drum n’ bass in the first place; a gigantic recommendation for anyone with drum sympathies.